Each year approximately 3.5 million cubic metres of silt settles in Harwich Harbour and must be removed to ensure clear access to the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich, Ipswich and Mistley.

The build-up continues relentlessly – the North Sea contains a high level of mud in suspension, and between 6,000 and 16,000 cubic metres of this mud, depending on weather conditions, can settles in the harbour each day.

We carry out maintenance dredging approximately every eight weeks to keep the deepwater channel at 16 metres below chart datum. The tide can add as much as 4 metres more, giving 20 metres depth at high water.